The present invention relates to a computerized system for controlling car wash devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,054 to Conn, Jr. discloses a car wash apparatus which utilized a plurality of photo cells at the beginning of the conveyor for the car wash. The photo cells sense the total length of the car. The output of the photo cells is coupled to a logic circuit that actuates the car washing and waxing devices downstream on the conveyor line. The logic circuit also receives an input from an encoder that senses the movement of the conveyor. Another prior art device monitors the amount of time, based on the conveyor encoder, the photocells or car sensor(s) are activated to determine when the car wash operators are blocking the sensors and causing more than a single car to enter the wash assembly line. U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,578 to Klein et al. discloses an automatic vehicle washer having an input device that accepts a coded input, a comparison circuit that compares the coded signal to a predetermined set of codes, and an actuator that activates the car wash and waxing devices upon a match between the coded signal and the stored set of codes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,069 to Endo et al. discloses a data input and output system for a gas station. This system includes an input device for selecting a quantity of gas and a certain dispensing unit for the gas, a display and a computation unit for generating sales and management data.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,503 to Suzuki discloses a transaction processing apparatus that produces data on commodities sold. Particularly, the Suzuki apparatus acts on an electronic cash register.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,092,759 to Weigele discloses a counting mechanism for a car wash. The counting mechanism is mounted at the beginning of the car wash conveyor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,174 to Pyle et al. discloses a control system for a car wash. That system senses the position of the car and sequentially actuates front and rear rollers for cleaning the car passing through the car wash device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,919 to Aaron discloses a control system for a car wash which system includes a plurality of sensors distributed along the length of the conveyor that carries the car. U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,356 to Paavola et al. discloses a car washing device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,317 to Mette discloses a process sequence controller for a car wash. The controller does not sense the position of the car on the conveyor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,914 to Van Trang discloses an automatic control system for car washes which utilizes relay operated switches and times to control sequences operation of the car washing and waxing devices.
The problems of the prior art automated car washing and waxing systems include (1) the inability of the systems to monitor the number of times and the duration the car wash operators block or alter the input sensors in order to "cheat" the system and wash and wax cars without the system accounting for those cars; (2) the inability of those systems to detect when the operators override control signals to specific car washing or car waxing devices, that is to selectively activate certain devices, e.g., wax applicators, for a particular car other than that ordered and paid for; (3) the inability of the prior art systems to keep complete records on all the cars passing through the car wash; and (4) the general inability of the prior art devices to provide easy management or data processing outputs for the car wash owners.